British Airways said this afternoon that first and business class traffic fell 17.7 per cent last month as its more lucrative customers cut back amid the recession.

Overall, the airline said total traffic for April rose by just 0.9 per cent, as market conditions continued to be “very challenging.”

Economy traffic rose 5.2 per cent, boosted by Easter falling during April this year instead of March, although the seasonal difference did mean fewer premium passengers. Its total load factor, a measure of how full its planes were, fell 2.6 per cent to 78.1 per cent. Cargo traffic was down 14.8 per cent